Electric switch for toy electric railways



March 25', 1930. A. H. GILL 1,751,992

ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Filed Dec. 19, 1928 Patented Mar. 25, 1930 AARON H. GILL, OF VEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC SWITCH E-FOB TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Application filed December 19,1928.

This invention relates to an improvement in electric switches for toy electric railways and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple and convenient switch adapted to be readily shifted from one portion of the track to another as may be desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electric switch for toy electric railways which is adapted to operate to close a circuit when engaged by a toytrain moving in one direction and which will not affect the said circuit when engaged by a train. moving in the opposite direction.

With the above objects in view my invention consists in an electric switch for toy electric railways having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of one form which an electric switch for toy electric railways constructed in accordance with my invention mayassume, the parts being shown in their normal positions;

Fig. 2 is a View thereof in side elevation with a portion of the side wall of the saddlemember broken away;

Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; I

i Fig. 4 is. a view :corresponding toFig. 2 butshowing the switchmoved into one of its circuit-closing positionsby the engagement with it of the shoe of the electric locomotive;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of another form which my invention may assume;

Fig. 7 is-a View thereof in side elevation; and

Fig. .8 is a View thereof in transverse section on the line 88 of Fig.' 7.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs 1 to 5 inclusive I employ along sheetmetal saddle or supportingsmember,generally designated by the numeral 10 and folded to form-an inverted U-shaped portion 11 adapted to set over the center or third-rail 12 of a track-rails proper 13-13, as clearly shown in Serial No. 327,071.

Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings. The leg 14 of the invertedQU-shaped portion 11 is considerably longer than the complementary leg 15 thereofand is folded outward to provide a shorthorizontal reach 16 which, in turn, is folded upward to form a guide-flange 17 for the purpose aswill hereinafter appear.

The lower end of the leg 15 of the saddlemember is folded outward to form a horizon- (indicated by broken lines inFigs. 4 and 5) when the same is moved into engagement with it by the passage ofa toy electric train. Resting upon the horizontal reach 16. of

the saddle between the arm 14 and the guideflange 17 thereof I positiona bar 24 of insulating material, the upper face of which is provided at its respective opposite ends with corresponding but reversely turned contact plates 25 and 26, the inner ends of which are sloped downward as at 27 tomorereadily be engaged by sliding contact-shoe 28 having spring-arms 29 and 30 respectively adapted to engage with the said contact-plates 25 and 26, as willv hereinafter appear. The. outer end of each of the contact-plates 25 and 26 is bent .downward as at 31 and has secured to it a binding-post 32' bymeans of which conductors-may be respectively connected with the respective contact-plates.

The contact-shoe 28 above referred to is secured by means of a screw 38 tothe. under face of a longitudinally-movable bar 34 composed of insulating material and having, its upper face provided with a contact-strip folded around its slopingv respective opposite ends. One of the ends 36 of the said contact-strip 35 is folded inward along the under face of the bar 25 and is interposed between the under face thereof and the contactshoe 28 so as to provide an electrical connection between the said strip and the said shoe.

The tension of the spring-arms 29 and 30 of ly serves to maintain the bar 34 in its central and elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

.4. pair of corresponding U-shaped links 37 serve to connect the movable bar 34 with the fixed bar 24 in such manner as to permit the former to move endwise in either direction and also to move slightly in a vertical plane. The lower arm 38 of each of the U-shaped links 37 is entered into a socket 39 formed in the bar 24, while the corresponding upper arm is entered into a socket 41 in the bar 34. Normally the movable bar 34 on one side of the third-rail 12 stands slightly above the fixed bar 20 on the opposite side thereof. Let it be supposed thatthe switchuni't above described is positioned astride the third-rail of the mainline track, just ahead of a turn-out track-switch leading to a spurtrack, and that the contact-plate 26 is connected to an electric track-switch controlmechanism controlling the said track-switch, and further that a train is approaching my improved electric switch in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 5, with its shoe or brush 23 bearing upon the said third-rail, the said brush will act to engage and electrically connect the contact-strip 21 of the fixed bar 20 (which is electrically connected to the third rail 12) and the contact-strip 35 on the movable bar 34 and move the latter from left to right, as viewer. in Figs. 2 and 4, until the arm 30 of the contact-shoe 28 is caused to ride upon the contact-plate 26 so as to close a circuit from the third-rail to the righthand binding-post and thence to the electric track-switch control-mechanism so as to throw the said track-switch and cause the train to be switched 0d of the main line.

As soon as the shoe 23 has ridden beyond my improved electric switch structure, the tension of the arms 29 and 30 will serve to restore the parts to the positions shown in Fig. 2 and break the electrical circuitjust previously formed.

However, when a train moving upon the main-line in a direction reverse to the direction in which-the train just-above described was traveling,its shoe or brush 23 will force the movable bar 34in the opposite'direction from right to left and complete a circuit if desired through the opposite contacteplate 25 to a semaphore signal or other apparatus, but it will be noted that the circuit through the contact-plate 26 ,and the track-switch control-mechanism to which it may be connected, will remain open andnnafieCted, so that as the train rides past on the main line the track-switch controlled through the contact-plate 26 will not be thrown nor in any way affected by the passage of the train in this direction. It will be understood that should the track-switch be thrown while the train is only partially past it, a derailment would result.

The electric switch shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive corresponds in general characteristics to that shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 122,355, filed July 14, 1926, patented December 25, 1928, No. 1,696,534, of which the present case is a continuation in part, and while it is not a directional switch, like the switch just above described, it is adapted to be readily shifted about upon the track from place to place as desired and comprises a saddle-member 'enerally designated by the numeral 42 formed of sheet-metal folded to form an inverted U-shaped portion 43 adapted to set over and straddle a center or third-rail 12. One of the downwardlyextending outwardly-sloping legs 44 of the ii-shaped portion has folded outward from it a short horizontal reach 45, the outer end of which is upturned to form a clampingflange 46, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. The opposite depending leg 47 of the inverted U-shaped portion is also folded to form an outwardly-extending horizontal reach 48 which latter, in turn, is upwardly folded as at 49 and again inwardly folded toward the said U-shaped portion to envelope a bar 50 of insulating material and to form a contact-plate 51 adapted to be engaged by the shoe or brush of a toy train which electrically connects it to a contactstrip 52 mounted upon the upper face of a complementary insulating bar 53 located upon the opposite side of the U-shaped portion 43 and resting upon the reach 45 and clamped between the leg 44 and the clamping-flange 46 aforesaid.

One end of the contact-strip 52 is bent downward as at 54' over the end of the insulating bar 53 and is provided with a binding-post 55 adapting a wire to be connected to it for the energization of such electrical devices as may be desired.

W hen the brush 23 of a toy electric train reaches the switch, it will ride upon the contact-strips 51 and 52 and electrically connect them and since the contact-strip 51 is electrically connected to the thirdrail 12 by the reaches 49 and 48 and the leg 4'7, current will flow to the binding-post 55 and thence to the device to be operated.

I claim:

1. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a saddle-member adapted to rest upon and straddle a charged. rail; two plates respectively located upon the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the said saddle-member and supported thereby in position to be engaged by the shoe of a toy electric train, one of the said plates being insulated from the said saddle-member and adapted to be electrically connected to the third-rail by the engagement with it of the said shoe.

2. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a sheet-metal saddle-member folded to form an inverted U-shaped portion adapted to rest upon and straddle a charged rail; two plates respectively located upon the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the said saddle-member and supported thereby in position to be engaged by the shoe or" a toy electric train, one of the said plates being insulated from the said saddlemember and adapted to be electrically connected to the third-rail by the engegement with it of the said shoe.

3. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a saddle-member adapted to rest upon and straddle a charged rail; two plates respectively located upon the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the said saddle-member and supported thereby in position to be engaged by the shoe of a toy electrio train, one of the said plates being connected normally to the said third-rail and the other of the said plates being insulated from the said saddle-member and from the said third rail and adapted to be electrically connected with the said third-rail by the engagement with it of the said shoe.

4:. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a mounting-member; a movable switch-member carried by the said mounting-member and positioned so as to be engaged and moved by a projecting part of a toy electric train; a movable spring-contact carried by the said movable switch-member and exerting a yielding effort to return the latter to its normal position; and a stationary contact carried by the said mountingmember in position to be engaged by the said movable contact; whereby the said movable contact may be moved into engagement with the said stationary contact to close a circuit by the passage of a toy electric train in one direction and whereby the said circuit will be unaffected by the passage of a toy train in the opposite direction.

5. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a mounting-member; a switch-member carried by the said mountingmember and movable in opposite directions from a neutral position and positioned to be engaged and moved by a projecting part of a toy electric-train; a two-armed movable spring-contact carried by the said switchmember and exerting a yielding efiort to return the latter to its normal position; a pair of stationary contacts respectively located on the opposite sides of the said movable contact in position to be alternately engaged thereby; whereby the said movable contact may be moved into engagement with one of the said stationary contacts to close a circuit by the passage of a toy electric train in one direction and whereby the said circuit will be unaffected by the passage of a toy train in the opposite direction.

6. An electric switch for toy electric railways comprising a mounting-member; an insulating-bar carried thereby; a movable switch-member mounted over the said in sulating-bar and connected thereto by a pair of pivotal links; a movable contact carried by the said movable switch-member and yieldingly held in its open-circuit position; and a stationary contact mounted upon the said insulating-bar in position to be engaged by the said movable contact; whereby the said movable contact may be moved into engagement with the said stationary contact to close a circuit by the passage of a toy electric train in one direction and whereby the said circuit will be unailected by the passage of a toy train in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

AARON H. GILL. 

